Italy— Italy just put massive restrictions on the use of Monsanto’s probably carcinogenic herbicide, RoundUp, just as studies suggesting it is more toxic than previously assumed come under public scrutiny.

Italy’s Ministry of Health has banned the spraying of the main ingredient in RoundUp — glyphosate — in many public places that affect ‘vulnerable groups,’ including courtyards, gardens, roadways, sports fields, recreational areas, playgrounds, green areas outside of school buildings, and additional green spaces.

Additionally, pre-harvest desiccation, the process of spraying crops with glyphosate before harvesting, has also been banned, as has the non-agricultural use of glyphosate on soils composed of 80 percent or more of sand — a measure designed to protect groundwater from further agrichemical contamination.

All told, Italy has just adopted one of the largest bans on the agricultural and public use of glyphosate in country’s history.

Since Monsanto relies on sales of RoundUp to prop up their seed monopoly (with 90 percent of all genetically-modified plants grown coming from their seed), the Italian Ministry’s decision to ban its use could portend a bleak future for the company in Europe. The Dutch have already banned glyphosate, with France and Brazil following in their footsteps. RoundUp has already been pulled from the shelves of many gardening and DIY centers in all three countries.